Soccer not restarting under new health orders

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This article was published 11/02/2021 (2004 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New provincial health orders set to take hold today will have no immediate impact on soccer, one of Manitoba’s most popular participation sports.

“We are basing all our decisions on the fact that we’re matching the code sequence that was set up months ago by the pandemic response system in Manitoba,” said Manitoba Soccer Association executive director Hector Vergara Thursday. “Code red means that there is no in-person, sanctioned activity allowed… So sanctioned soccer will remain as it has been for the last month or two or three — the indoor season at least.”

Earlier this week, the Manitoba government announced it would permit the reopening of rinks, gymnastics and martial arts clubs providing capacity was limited to 25 per cent with one-on-one instruction only.

Uncertainty over how long the loosening of restrictions will last made it a non-starter for the MSA.

“Until they’re comfortable enough to move us from red to orange (in the sports sector) — our board has discussed it and we’ve discussed it with our technical department — we’re not moving,” said Vergara. “Particularly when they have said this one-on-one training. Our sport is a team sport and there is not one coach for every 15 players on a team.”

Vergara said he was hopeful sports in the province will move from code red to orange when the current order comes up for review on March 5. Such a change would be timely, allowing players and teams to prepare for the outdoor season.

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association and Winnipeg Women’s Soccer League have confirmed they will not have an indoor season. The Manitoba Major Soccer League has not announced a decision.

Elsewhere:

— Volleyball Manitoba executive director John Blacher said his organization is preparing to make its next move.

“We’re just trying to determine how we’re going to proceed with our return to play regarding the one-on-one instruction that’s allowed and the 25 per cent capacity,” said Blacher. “We did have a meeting with our clubs (Wednesday) night and provided an update. It does seem like a few are ready to go and wanting to do it. But the other part of it is just whether the facilities are going to be open or when they’re going to be open to allow this type of activity.”

Club volleyball relies on facilities such as the Dakota Fieldhouse. Other options include the community centres at Lindenwoods and Sturgeon Heights. Gym time typical costs about $40 per hour at these venues and $55 to $60 per hour for school gyms.

Volleyball Manitoba is also planning to introduced snow volleyball, an outdoor form of the game recognized by the International Volleyball Federation. The game, which is popular in Europe, is a 3-on-3 game played on a beach volleyball court.

— Tennis Manitoba is advising its members to adhere to the one-to-one student-to-coach ratio and 25 per cent capacity edict but executive director Mark Arndt expressed frustration and confusion over the application of the relaxed rules.

“It’s frustrating because tennis has been deemed one of the safest if not the safest sport to play out there,” said Arndt. “We were the first to open back in May when this whole thing hit us and we demonstrated through the course of the summer that tennis can be can be staged properly safely. For us at Tennis Manitoba, safety is first and foremost.”

Winnipeg’s two pro private indoor facilities, Taylor Tennis Club and the Winnipeg Winter Club, are considering the possibility of reopening. Tennis U, a single court operation in Steinbach, will open on Saturday.

— Basketball Manitoba’s Adam Wedlake didn’t see much to get excited about in the new order. The one-to-one rule and 25 per cent ceiling on capacity are viewed as too restrictive.

“For the vast majority of people involved in our sport that’s still sort of a non-starter,” said Wedlake, the organization’s executive director. “The hardcores, like the university coach, wants to get out and work out with their player in the gym by themselves, which I’m sure there’s an appetite for… It’s a minority of numbers but it’s still a crack in the door and it’s better than it was last week.”

Complicating the issue is the availability of gym time. Basketball is a regular user of the Sport for Life building, which is currently undergoing repairs to the gym floor and unavailable.

— The universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba are currently working on getting athletes back into workout facilties by some time next week. The U of M athletic department has submitted a proposal to the school’s reopening committee to allow individual training in gyms and weight rooms. A decision is expected in the coming days.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14